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The Homeowner's Energy Handbook: Your Guide to Getting Off the Grid
Comprehensive guide to renewable energy fundamentals!
You won't find a more concise and comprehensive guide to learn the fundamentals of renewable energy including solar, wind, hydro, biodiesel, wood gas, and biogas! Get off the grid and make the most of the power you produce with creative ways to lower your energy use and cost.
Energy expert and hands-on, off-grid homesteader , Paul Scheckel provides plans to build and maintain a variety of energy-saving and energy-producing equipment, ranging from thermosiphon solar hot water collectors to bicycle-powered generators, even a demonstration size biogas digester that's perfect for science fairs!
Use less energy, save money, and reduce your carbon footprint!
You won't find a more concise and comprehensive guide to learn the fundamentals of renewable energy including solar, wind, hydro, biodiesel, wood gas, and biogas! Get off the grid and make the most of the power you produce with creative ways to lower your energy use and cost.
Energy expert and hands-on, off-grid homesteader , Paul Scheckel provides plans to build and maintain a variety of energy-saving and energy-producing equipment, ranging from thermosiphon solar hot water collectors to bicycle-powered generators, even a demonstration size biogas digester that's perfect for science fairs!
Use less energy, save money, and reduce your carbon footprint!
288 pages, Paperback
First published March 12, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
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March 27, 2026skimmed it, 2013 so some is dated
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June 24, 2023We are like tenant farmers chopping down the fence around our house for fuel when we should be using Nature’s inexhaustible sources of energy — sun, wind, and tide. . . . I’d put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don’t have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that. — THomaS ediSon, invenTor (1847–1931)
To get a ballpark idea of the value of energy production from a renewable energy system, first add up your installation costs for the system. Then, multiply the annual maintenance costs by the expected life of the system. Add the two sums to find the lifetime operating cost of the system. Next, figure the energy production of the system over its lifetime. Divide the lifetime operating costs (installation and maintenance) by the lifetime energy production value to find the cost per unit of energy.
energy profit ratio (EPR) is the ratio of energy output to the energy required to obtain the resource. if it takes one barrel of oil to get 10 barrels out of the ground, then the EPR of oil is 10 to 1.
I recommend a video called The Power of Community — How Cuba Survived Peak Oil
generating 12-volt DC power allows you to charge batteries, and battery power can be converted to aC power using an electronic inverter, or it can directly supply DC appliances, such as those made for camping and recreational vehicles.
fuses to protect against over-current. You will also need a diode, which is an electronic “check valve” that allows current to flow in only one direction.
batteries contain harmful acid and can deliver incredible amounts of energy if the terminals are shorted (connected together).
To get a ballpark idea of the value of energy production from a renewable energy system, first add up your installation costs for the system. Then, multiply the annual maintenance costs by the expected life of the system. Add the two sums to find the lifetime operating cost of the system. Next, figure the energy production of the system over its lifetime. Divide the lifetime operating costs (installation and maintenance) by the lifetime energy production value to find the cost per unit of energy.
energy profit ratio (EPR) is the ratio of energy output to the energy required to obtain the resource. if it takes one barrel of oil to get 10 barrels out of the ground, then the EPR of oil is 10 to 1.
I recommend a video called The Power of Community — How Cuba Survived Peak Oil
generating 12-volt DC power allows you to charge batteries, and battery power can be converted to aC power using an electronic inverter, or it can directly supply DC appliances, such as those made for camping and recreational vehicles.
fuses to protect against over-current. You will also need a diode, which is an electronic “check valve” that allows current to flow in only one direction.
batteries contain harmful acid and can deliver incredible amounts of energy if the terminals are shorted (connected together).
January 10, 2013
When deciding to read/review this book, I was looking to just pick up some ideas on solar power and such. You know-- ideas for energy efficiency is suburbia. Well, I got a lot more than I bargained for!
This book educates you on energy efficiency, takes you through the process of figuring out what you want and why, and then how to get you there.
There was one section of the book that I found especially interesting. At one point, the author profiles the "Energy Action in Cuba", and I learned a lot I didn't know. Here in the US, we tend to view Cuba in a very negative connotation. Yet the author, who spent a week in Cuba with other energy professionals, shows that there is a silver lining to everything. He outlines how Cuba and Russia had maintained a close import/export relationship, and when Russia's economy collapsed it caused the Cuban economy to likewise crash, forcing the country to make quick adjustments in energy consumption in order to survive.
The book includes some illustrations and instructions, such as how to build a "Bicycle-Powered Battery Charger". He has checklists for things like how to do your own energy audit, everything you wanted to know about insulation, how to monitor the energy usage of your appliances, and lots of info on solar, hydro, wind and biodiesel alternatives.
My final word: This book is chock full of information, and if anything it was a little overwhelming at times for a modest single female homeowner like myself. I was just looking to pick up some tips on "going off the grid" and generating some of my own power through solar and the like. This book would be great for the person who is looking to really make some changes to an older house, or the person who is building a new home and wishes to make it more energy efficient. If you are looking to learn everything there is to learn about home energy improvements, grab this one! The author is very knowledgeable on the subject, and has contained the information in an easy-to-read format.
This book educates you on energy efficiency, takes you through the process of figuring out what you want and why, and then how to get you there.
There was one section of the book that I found especially interesting. At one point, the author profiles the "Energy Action in Cuba", and I learned a lot I didn't know. Here in the US, we tend to view Cuba in a very negative connotation. Yet the author, who spent a week in Cuba with other energy professionals, shows that there is a silver lining to everything. He outlines how Cuba and Russia had maintained a close import/export relationship, and when Russia's economy collapsed it caused the Cuban economy to likewise crash, forcing the country to make quick adjustments in energy consumption in order to survive.
The book includes some illustrations and instructions, such as how to build a "Bicycle-Powered Battery Charger". He has checklists for things like how to do your own energy audit, everything you wanted to know about insulation, how to monitor the energy usage of your appliances, and lots of info on solar, hydro, wind and biodiesel alternatives.
My final word: This book is chock full of information, and if anything it was a little overwhelming at times for a modest single female homeowner like myself. I was just looking to pick up some tips on "going off the grid" and generating some of my own power through solar and the like. This book would be great for the person who is looking to really make some changes to an older house, or the person who is building a new home and wishes to make it more energy efficient. If you are looking to learn everything there is to learn about home energy improvements, grab this one! The author is very knowledgeable on the subject, and has contained the information in an easy-to-read format.
August 17, 2016
This comprehensive guide is full of advice and projects that can help you eliminate your need for fossil fuels and move off the traditional energy grid. Starting with practical advice on how to minimize your need for energy and taking you through options to replace traditional energy sources with renewable sources, the author doesn't sugar coat the process. The projects included have many warnings and tells the pros and cons of each. Getting off the grid requires a little know-how and patience. Depending on where you live, some of the options available may be economically feasible and other are not. I really appreciated the realistic view of the rewards and the difficulties associated with each of the changes suggested in the book.
September 14, 2013
good! This is a broad read and a bit "shallow". I enjoyed the biogas chapter, but I'm not quite read for it! The passive solar and PV stuff was good - enough to get going. Part 1 (home energy audit, mostly) was good, but I don't know if it is really necessary or enlightening for anyone who has thought about this stuff much. I found this a good broad read that inspired me to try a few ideas (a passive solar, raspberry pi controlled hot tub? I hope so!)
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March 14, 2016Lots of good information to try as you go thru the book. It will keep you busy.
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November 11, 2016Quite explanatory with anecdotes and experiences from different people.
Skimmed. Good resource to refer back to when needed.
Skimmed. Good resource to refer back to when needed.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews